Michael Avenatti

* Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) of the House Intelligence Committee is none too pleased with the Justice Department at the moment. Apparently two unnamed senior officials said the DOJ might refuse to share special counsel Robert Mueller’s report with Congress, a claim Schiff called “absolutely insupportable.” [ABC News]

* Last week, Paul Manafort was sentenced to under four years in jail by Judge T.S. Ellis III (just a little less than the 19 to 24 years called for in the sentencing guidelines), and today, Judge Amy Berman Jackson could sentence him to up to 10 years behind bars. [The Hill]

* Michael Avenatti and Stormy Daniels have officially “broken up” (i.e., their attorney/client relationship has ended), and their announcement was obviously made on Twitter. Clark Brewster will now serve as her personal lawyer. [Daily Beast]

* Some think Justice Clarence Thomas may be dropping hints that he’s about to retire (e.g., this little First Amendment gem), but those who know him well think he’s getting ready for a conservative revolution, and he’s got an army of former clerks to back him up. [CNN]

* It’s Mueller time! Special counsel Robert Mueller’s sentencing memo for Paul Manafort is 800 pages long and makes the president’s former campaign chairman out to be a “hardened” and “bold” criminal who “repeatedly and brazenly” broke the law and “presents a grave risk of recidivism.” [New York Times]

* A federal judge has ruled that the all-male military draft that requires men to register with the Selective Service System is unconstitutional, as “the time has passed” for debate on women’s roles in the armed services. [USA Today]

* Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta is in hot water for brokering the 2008 plea deal for Jeffrey Epstein. District Judge Kenneth Marra said the actions of then prosecutor Acosta violated federal law. [Slate]

* “Trump is screaming. He’s so mad at Rudy.” After yet another botched interview, President Trump is reportedly “furious” with Rudy Giuliani, and word on the street is that he’s being told to dump the former New York mayor before any additional damage can be done. Best of luck, because he very obviously needs it. [Vanity Fair]

* Justice will prevail… at least until the end of the month: The federal judiciary is still clinging to life amid the government shutdown, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts just announced its final funding extension to continue operations through January 31. [National Law Journal]

* The Supreme Court’s conservative wind just low-key alerted the nation that big changes could be on the way by deciding to hear a Second Amendment case for the first time since 2010. Will the high court swing further to the right now that its perennial swing justice has retired? [Washington Post]

* Lawyers dominate quote of the year list. That’s not a good thing. [Law.com] * Ninth Circuit warns district judges against issuing injunctions because fascism works through shaming not through edicts. [The Recorder] * Debevoise and Covington have some ‘splaining to do in CBS case. [American Lawyer] * Stand Your Ground law also applies to …

* Mueller suggests no jail time for Flynn based on the former National Security Advisor’s extensive cooperation. Um… that’s interesting. [CNBC] * Jeffrey Epstein settles a civil suit against him, and no one could be happier than Labor Secretary Alex Acosta who can hope this allows the story to blow over without any more inquiry …